Terms of Service

Welcome to Cookiejar! These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our academic research platform. By using Cookiejar, you agree to these Terms. Please read them carefully.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Cookiejar ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service.

• You must be at least 13 years old to use Cookiejar
• If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent
• You represent that all information you provide is accurate and current

2. Service Description

Cookiejar is an AI-powered academic research platform that:

• Searches 30+ academic databases including PubMed, arXiv, CrossRef, IEEE Xplore, Semantic Scholar, CORE, and others
• Generates AI-powered research summaries using Claude AI to synthesize findings from multiple sources
• Provides citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and BibTeX formats
• Offers quality scoring to assess relevance and reliability of sources

Service Availability

We strive for 99.9% uptime but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service may be unavailable due to:

• Scheduled maintenance (notified in advance when possible)
• Emergency repairs
• Third-party API limitations or outages
• Force majeure events

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

To use Cookiejar, you must create an account by providing:

• Valid email address
• Secure password
• Optional: Name, institution, research field

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your password
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access

3.3 Account Sharing

Prohibited: You may not share your account credentials or allow others to use your account. Each user must have their own account.

4. Subscription & Billing

4.1 Free Tier

• 10 searches per month
• 5 sources per search
• 500-word summaries
• PDF export
• 7-day search history

4.2 Paid Plans

We offer the following paid subscription plans:

• Starter ($5/month): 25 searches, 10 sources, 1,000-word summaries
• Pro ($15/month): Unlimited searches, 20+ sources, unlimited word count
• Researcher ($39/month): Everything in Pro + advanced features

4.3 Billing Terms

• Recurring Charges: Subscriptions auto-renew monthly or annually
• Payment Methods: We accept major credit cards via Stripe
• Price Changes: We will notify you 30 days before any price increase
• Taxes: Prices exclude applicable taxes (VAT, sales tax, etc.)

4.4 Refund Policy

• 7-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Full refund if you cancel within 7 days of first payment
• Pro-Rated Refunds: Not available for partial months
• Abuse: Refund privileges may be revoked for abuse (e.g., repeatedly signing up and canceling)

4.5 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. Upon cancellation:

• You retain access until the end of your current billing period
• You will not be charged again unless you resubscribe
• Your data is retained for 90 days, then automatically deleted

5. Acceptable Use Policy

5.1 Permitted Uses

You may use Cookiejar for:

• Academic research and literature reviews
• Educational purposes
• Professional research projects
• Personal learning and knowledge acquisition

5.2 Prohibited Uses

You may NOT:

• Plagiarize: Copy AI-generated summaries verbatim without proper attribution
• Circumvent Limits: Create multiple accounts to exceed usage limits
• Resell Access: Share, resell, or commercialize access to the Service
• Reverse Engineer: Attempt to access or copy our underlying technology
• Abuse Systems: Send excessive requests, spam, or malicious content
• Violate Laws: Use the Service for illegal purposes
• Automate Access: Use bots or scripts without written permission

5.3 Enforcement

Violation of this policy may result in:

• Warning and temporary suspension
• Permanent account termination
• No refund for remaining subscription period
• Legal action if required

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our IP

Cookiejar owns all rights to:

• The Cookiejar platform, code, and design
• Our logo, branding, and trademarks
• Our AI models and algorithms (but not the underlying Claude AI)

6.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of:

• Your research questions and queries
• Documents you upload (if applicable)
• Notes and annotations you create

6.3 AI-Generated Content

Important: AI-generated summaries are based on publicly available academic sources. While you may use these summaries in your work:

• You must cite the original sources, not Cookiejar
• We provide citations in standard academic formats for this purpose
• You are responsible for verifying accuracy

6.4 Academic Sources

Sources accessed through Cookiejar are subject to their respective licenses:

• Open access sources (PubMed, arXiv): Free to access
• Paywalled sources (JSTOR, IEEE): We only provide metadata and abstracts
• You must comply with each source's terms of use

7. Academic Integrity & Citations

7.1 Your Responsibilities

• Verify Information: Always fact-check AI-generated summaries against original sources
• Cite Original Sources: Use the citations we provide, not "Cookiejar" as a source
• Add Your Analysis: AI summaries are starting points, not final papers
• Follow Your Institution's Policies: Check if AI tools are permitted for your assignments

7.2 How to Cite

CORRECT:

Smith, J. A., & Johnson, M. B. (2024). The effects of climate change on ocean biodiversity. Journal of Marine Biology, 45(3), 234-256.

INCORRECT:

Cookiejar. (2025). AI-generated summary about climate change and biodiversity.

7.3 Plagiarism Warning

Using AI-generated content without:

• Properly citing original sources
• Adding your own analysis
• Disclosing AI use (if required by your institution)

...may constitute plagiarism or academic dishonesty. We are not liable for academic integrity violations.

8. Disclaimers & Limitations

8.1 "As Is" Service

Cookiejar is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Accuracy of AI-generated content
• Completeness of search results
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement of third-party rights

8.2 AI Limitations

AI models may:

• Produce inaccurate or incomplete summaries
• Misinterpret complex research
• Miss relevant sources
• Reflect biases in training data

Always verify AI output against original sources.

8.3 Third-Party Services

We integrate with third-party services (Claude AI, Stripe, academic databases). We are not responsible for:

• Outages or errors from third parties
• Changes to third-party APIs
• Third-party data breaches (though we follow best practices)

8.4 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Cookiejar and its founders, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Academic consequences (failed grades, plagiarism accusations, etc.)
• Indirect damages (lost profits, data loss, etc.)
• Damages exceeding the amount you paid in the last 12 months

9. Termination

9.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Canceling your subscription in account settings
• Submitting a request via our contact form

9.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms of Service
• You engage in fraudulent activity
• Your payment method fails repeatedly
• Required by law

9.3 Effect of Termination

• You lose access to the Service immediately
• Your data is retained for 90 days for potential reactivation
• After 90 days, all data is permanently deleted
• No refunds for remaining subscription period (except as stated in Section 4.4)

10. Governing Law & Disputes

10.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your Jurisdiction], without regard to conflict of law principles.

10.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes shall be resolved through:

1. Informal Negotiation: Contact us first to resolve issues
2. Mediation: If negotiation fails, we agree to mediation
3. Binding Arbitration: As a last resort (exceptions: small claims court)

10.3 Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be:

• Posted on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Emailed to you for material changes
• Effective 30 days after posting (unless you object by canceling)

11. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms? Contact us:

• Contact Form: Submit an inquiry

By using Cookiejar, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.